Stanfords Travel Podcast

Back by popular demand following his 2018 appearance, Michael Portillo returns to the Stanfords Travel Writers Festival. Since leaving politics we have watched him travel all around the world in his television documentaries. Championing the Bradshaw’s Handbook, Michael has looked in depth at the history of rail travel and how it opened up the world for people … Continue reading Michael Portillo in Conversation: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

The wellbeing of our oceans has never been more important. But to truly understand the vital role they play, we need to first understand how the oceans work, how we explore them and learn about the mysteries they hold, and what our effect is on them. Combining untold history of ocean exploration and personal account … Continue reading Dr Jon Copley: Exploring the Ocean Depths: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

In 2016 Ben Aitken moved to Poland to work in a fish and chip shop. He booked the cheapest flight he could find, to a place he had never heard of – Poznan. Between peeling potatoes and boning fish, Ben spent time on the road travelling the country and learning about its history. Talking to … Continue reading Ben Aitken: An Unlikely Year in Poland: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Dreaming of your next adventure? Whether you’re looking for festivals and culture, an unforgettable journey, natural wonders, rest and relaxation, or active adventures, Lucy Richards talks to Paul Blezard about the most amazing places in the world and the best time of year to visit them. Discover when to explore Costa Rica’s rainforests, journey into … Continue reading Lucy Richards: Where to Go When: Stanfords Travel Writing Festival 2020

John Hudson talks to Paul Blezard about how strategies for life or death situations can help us excel in our everyday lives. Through gripping first-hand accounts of survival stories from across the extreme world you can develop the skills that allow you to make better decisions under pressure, which are as equally applicable to your … Continue reading John Hudson: How to Survive: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

At a time of deteriorating relations between Russia and the West, Sara Wheeler talks to Julia Wheeler about a Russia not in the news – a Russia of humanity and daily struggles. Taking us across eight time zones, from rinsed north-western beetroot fields and far-eastern Arctic tundra to the cauldron of ethnic soup that is … Continue reading Sara Wheeler: Travels Through Russia: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Dom Joly talks to Julia Wheeler about his book The Hezbollah Hiking Club, in which he writes about hiking across Lebanon, from the Israeli border in the south, along the spine of the country’s mountain range, all the way to the Syrian border in the north. It is a big-hearted, witty and affectionate love letter … Continue reading Dom Joly: A Short Walk Across the Lebanon: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

From Mappa Mundi to modern election maps, the United Kingdom has evolved rapidly, along with the ways in which it has been mapped. During this time, cartography has not only kept pace with these changes, but has often driven them. In his beautiful book, Philip Parker talks to Julia Wheeler about some of these maps … Continue reading Philip Parker: History of Maps in Britain: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

The prospect of travelling with children can be daunting: long flights, unfamiliar food, the absence of the home comforts and helpful grandparents. But more parents are venturing away from all-inclusive resorts with kids’ club entertainment on tap in favour of immersive real-world experiences. In doing so they discover the joys that family travel can bring, … Continue reading Travelling with Children: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Matt Dickinson talks to Phoebe Smith about his first-hand experience of living through one of the most devastating storms ever to hit Mount Everest, a storm in which many lost their lives. Tackling issues at the very heart of mountaineering, Matt tells an extraordinary story of human triumph, folly and disaster. The Death Zone by Matt Dickinson

Develop your travel writing with a panel of top writers and editors. Learn how to write travel articles and pitch to editors, set up and monetise a travel blog, or just write about your travels for your own pleasure. With Jonathan Lorie (author of The Travel Writer’s Way and director of Travellers’ Tales), Lyn Hughes … Continue reading Develop your Travel Writing: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Jung Chang reveals the lives of three extraordinary women who helped shape twentieth-century China. As the country battled through a hundred years of wars, revolutions and seismic transformations, the three Soong sisters from Shanghai were at the centre of power, and each of them left an indelible mark on history. Their story takes us on … Continue reading Jung Chang: Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

David Barrie talks to Paul Blezard about the navigational tools that animals (including humans) use, whether it is celestial, solar, magnetic fields, landmarks or even scent, and the difference between map and non- map-based navigation. He also presents the evidence of map-like representations of the world in animals’ brains. While humans increasingly rely on technology … Continue reading David Barrie: Exploring the Wonders of Animal Navigation: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

How often have you read a travel book and thought about how you would love to recreate that journey? Well these three authors did just that and even turned those journeys into books of their own. Join us as Paul Blezard talks to Jacki Hill-Murphy who has followed the footsteps of a number of early female explorers and adventurers, Alastair … Continue reading Walking in the Footsteps Of… : Stanfords Travel Writers Festival

Cheesemonger Ned Palmer takes us on a delicious journey across Britain and Ireland and through time to uncover the histories of beloved old favourites like Cheddar and Wensleydale and fresh innovations like the Irish Cashel Blue or the rambunctious Renegade Monk. Along the way we learn the craft and culture of cheesemaking and we get to know … Continue reading Ned Palmer: A Cheesemonger’s Tour of the British Isles: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Adrian Hayes talks to Paul Blezard about his attempts to climb K2 – the notorious second highest mountain in the world – in 2013 and again in 2014. During these expeditions his thoughts often turned to his guilt and struggles as a father amid tumultuous personal circumstances; the profound events on K2 and the powerful lessons for our … Continue reading Adrian Hayes: Trauma, Tragedy and Triumph on K2: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year at the 2019 Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards, William Atkins talks to Julia Wheeler about his experiences in eight deserts: the Empty Quarter of Oman, the Gobi Desert and Taklamakan deserts of northwest China, the Great Victoria Desert of Australia, the man-made desert of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan, … Continue reading William Atkins: Journeys in Desert Places: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Christopher Somerville talks to Paul Blezard, as he takes us behind the scenes of Britain’s Cathedrals, delving deep into the private life and the uncertain future of these ever-voyaging Ships of Heaven. Nowadays these great stone ships seem solid and unshakeable, but they are leaky old vessels in uncharted waters, tossed on waves of power and glory, … Continue reading Christopher Somerville: The Private Life of Britain’s Cathedrals: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020

Diana Darke talks to Julia Wheeler about her new book, The Last Sanctuary in Aleppo. It’s an incredible true story, seeing war-torn Aleppo from the view of an ambulance driver who cares for the people and animals caught in the crossfire and goes on, amidst the chaos and ruin, to create a cat sanctuary. The Last Sanctuary in Aleppo by Diana Darke.

In his recent ITV series, Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen, Ainsley Harriott went back to his roots to uncover the best-kept secrets and simple dishes of Caribbean home cooking. Join us as he talks to Julia Wheeler about the diverse culture and the rich food heritage of these much-loved islands. His tales of traditional recipes and local ingredients will inspire dishes … Continue reading Ainsley Harriott: Tales from a Caribbean Kitchen: Stanfords Travel Writers Festival 2020